Aerial mine.



R. J. DALY.

AERIAL MINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.29. 1916.

Patented J 111v 9, 1918 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 R. J. DALY.

AERIAL MINE.

APPLICATION man MAR. 29, me.

Patented July 9, 1918 2 SHEET$SHEET 2.

RALPH J. II JALY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AERIAL MINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1918.

Application filed March 29, 1916. Serial No. 87,604.

To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that I, RALPH J. DALY, a citizen of the United States,v residing at Philadelphia in the county of Philadelphia and State of new and useful Improvements in Aerial Mines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto aerial mines so designed as to protect property against aerial raids at all hours independent of the vigilance of individuals or climatic conditions and it has for its primary object to provide a mine so constructed as to be electrically ignited. a

The invention also comprehends the provision of a construction whereby the mine may be either fired manually or by impact operated electrical contact devices.

Another object of the invention is the novel manner of supporting the circuit closers so that at least one will operate in any direction of travel of an aerial vehicle.

Besides the above my invention is distinguished in the manner of arranging an an nular series of contact fingers capable of being-forced into engagement with the metallic body of the mine when contacting with a foreign body, and as a result closing a circuit capable of firing the mine.

The invention will be better understood from the following detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment is illustrated and the features of novelty including all the above mentioned with various others will be hereinafter pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawin Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating one form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating another form of my invention.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the gas bag.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on line 44 of Fig. 3.

, Fig, 5 is a vertical, section on line 55 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a side. elevation of the same.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing one of the circuit closers for the mine.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view on line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9. is a vertical sectional view of a still further modification of the invention.

Pennsylvania, have invented For the convenience of description and clearness of presentation I will describe my invention in the specific embodiment of the apparatus but I wish it understood at the start that although I mentionall the details of the apparatus and certain locations thereof- I wish it to be understood that the elementsmay be used in other locations such as arranging the circuit closers to be operated upon impact between that element that anchors the gas bag and an aerial vehicle.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings it will be seen that in one case in Fig. 1, the mine can be automatically or m'anually fired whereas in Fig. 2 the mine will be fired from the ground. Referring more particularly to Fig. 1 and the detail views thereof the numeral 1 designates a bag inflated with any suitable gas. Supported directly below the bag in a manner to be described later is a mine 2.

The numeral 3 designates an ignition system comprising a closed circuit 4 including coils 5 adapted to be rendered incandescent by the passage of an electric current and shown two in number disposed respectively in the bag 1 and the interior of the mine 2. Positioned upon the ground is a suitable source of current 6 having its negative pole connected to one of the conductors of the circuit 4 by means of the conductor 7 while the opposite conductor of the circuit 4 is electrically connected to the positive pole of the battery by means of a conductor 8 through a switch 9 adapted to be manually operated. Thus it will be seen that upon closing of the switch 9 manually, current will render the coils 5 incandescent with the result that the gas in the bag will be ignited and the mine fired.

To accomplish the foregoing result automatically I attach to the positive pole of the battery an extra conductor 10 terminally connected to a series of circuit closers '11 arranged in an annular series around the nircumference of the bag 1. Each circuit closer 11 supported by the bag 1 comprises a resilient finger 12 that has one extremity secured to a pliable band 13 and its opposite extremity normally spaced from a metallic ring 14 encircling the bag, the ring will be thrown to closed position with the result that the .current from the source 6 will render the coils 5 incandescent for destroying the air bag and igniting the mine.

In practice it may be found advantageous to provide the mine as well as the gas bag with a series of circuit closers and for this purpose I have provided an annular series of metallic fingers 16 supported by but insulated from the metallic casing of the mine by means of the bolts 17' and insulating bushings 18. The ignition system is identical with that just described with the exception that the conductor 15 is connected to the metallic casing 19 of the mine and the free ends of the fingers are so disposed that they may be forced into engagement with the outer surface of the mine with the fixed ends of the fingers electrically connected to the conductor 10 by means of the conductor 15 7 At this point I wish to call attention to the fact that the conductors 8, 7 and 10 are utilized for anchoring the gas bag, whereas in Fig. 2 the conductor 10 is dispensed with and the conductors 7 and 8 formed in a single cable 20.

In Fig. -9 I have illustrated a series of fuse bombs 22 supported interiorly of the gas bag so that upon the bag being de' stroyed due to the ignition of the gas the fuses of the bombs will be ignited and the bombs free to gravitate downwardly.

It will be understood that while all the several features of my improved apparatus have special cooperation with one another and together constitute a particularly eifective device for the purpose in view certain of these features may be applied in other relations such as providing the ignition system for the sole purpose of destroying the air bag and allowing the mine or bomb to gravitate to the ground and be exploded by the shock and I therefore desire to cover the combination present in the several parts of my improved apparatus whether employed in' the general organization shown or elsewhere.

Moreover use certain words in a generic sense such as the word mine which may in- -clude any article that may be exploded by heat or by shock.

What I claim is 1. An aerial mine comprising a gas bag, a plurality of bombs supported within said bag and electrical means for destroying said bag.

2. An aerial mine comprising a gas bag, a mine supported thereby, an ignition system for firing said mine and bag, an annular row of metallic fingers encircling said bag and secured thereto at one extremity, a metallic ring encircling said bag but .normally spaced from said fingers, said circuit having its terminals connected respectively to the fingers and said ring.

3. An aerial mine comprising a gas bag, a mine suspended therefrom, an ignition system for igniting the gas within the bag including an electric circuit, a manual o ierated switch for said circuit, and a plura ity of circuit closers carried by the bag exteriorly thereof and adapted to be operated by impact.

4:. An aerial mine comprising a gas bag, a

mine supported thereby, electric means for destroying said bag and mine, said means including a circuit, a manually operable switch in said circuit, and a plurality of circuit closersdisposed exteriorly of both said bag and mine and adapted to be actuated by impact.

5. An aerial mine comprising a gas bag, I

a mine supported thereby, a plurality of fuse bombs supported within the bag, and electrical means for destroyingsaid bag and mine. a

6. An aerial mine comprising a gas bag,

a mine supported thereby, a plurality of fuse bombs supported within the bag, an electrical means for destroying said bag and mine, and said means including a manually operable switch, and a plurality of circuit closers disposed exteriorly of the bag and adapted to be operated by impact.

7. An aerial mine comprising-a gasbag, a mine supported thereby, a plurality of fuse bombs supported within the bag, electrical means for destroying sald bag and 

